He was not
master in his own house.
Finally he lost heart. He had grown taciturn because he was always
contradicted. The want of congenial company and fellows-in-misfortune
gradually dulled his brain; his nerves went to pieces; he neglected
his appearance and took to drink.
He was hardly ever at home now. Frequently he could be found,
intoxicated, at the public house or in the cottages of the farm
labourers. He drank with everybody and all day long. He stimulated his
brain with alcohol for the sake of the relief he found in talking. It
was difficult to decide whether he drank in order to be able to talk
to somebody who did not contradict him, or whether he drank merely in
order to get drunk.
He sold privileges and farm produce to the cottagers to provide
himself with money, for the women held the cash. Finally he burgled
his own safe and stole the contents.
There was an orthodox, church-going inspector on the premises now; the
previous one had been dismissed on account of his intemperate habits.
When at last, through the clergyman's influence, the proprietor of the
inn lost his license Frithiof took to drinking with his own farm
labourers. Scandal followed on scandal.
He developed into a heavy drinker who had epileptic fits whenever he
was deprived of alcohol.
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